


Brothers Till The End

by AQuietThinker



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Five Moments of Intimacy, Friendship, Gen, Hair Brushing, James "Rhodey" Rhodes & Tony Stark Friendship, James "Rhodey" Rhodes is a Good Bro, Mourning, Non-Sexual Intimacy, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Vunerability, Young Tony Stark, prompts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-23
Updated: 2020-08-23
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:42:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26068165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AQuietThinker/pseuds/AQuietThinker
Summary: James Rhodes has been with Tony Stark for a long time, seeing the genius not only in his glory, but in his most vunerable moments. As the news of Howard and Maria's death arrives, Tony descends into a void of grief, and Rhodes is the only one close enough to bring him back out.----------Prompts: Comfort over a loss one, vunerability, non-sexual cleaning
Relationships: James "Rhodey" Rhodes & Tony Stark
Comments: 3
Kudos: 19
Collections: August Intimacy 2020





	Brothers Till The End

**Author's Note:**

> This took forever to write and its shorter than usual. Oh well. Once again I am not updating the chapter fics I should be updating, but this collection closes at the end of August (I think) and I really like the prompts.
> 
> x)

“Hold on, Rhodes- just a second… Good evening, this is the Stark Residence Butler speaking, how may I help you? _ ” _

Rhodes James rolled his eyes and leaned on the door as Tony took the phone away from Jarvis. The butler mirrored his own expression before ruffling the young man’s soft brown hair and retreating back to the kitchen. It was his turn now to keep the Stark boy at bay while his parents were away. 

“Oh, hey aunt Peg. You do know I’m legally allowed to drink now, right? You don’t need to check on me every three seconds.”

Tony twisted his mouth with exaggeration and stuck his tongue out.

“Uh-huh. So what’s up?”

Rhodey was unable to hear Peggy’s voice, but felt a shudder run down his spine involuntarily. He had seen the woman a few times around the manor- a calm, leader-like lady with impeccable makeup and perhaps the only one who could shut the Stark men to silence with only a glare (besides Maria).

“Jarvis is downstairs, oh and Rhodey just arrived. He’s fine-” Tony turned to him in a louder voice. “She says hi in a very thick British accent. Sorry Auntie.”

After another shrug the brunette turned his focus back to the call. 

“You, Peggy? Do you need anything or- What do you mean?”

Very instantly something shifted in his friend's face, and the cocky smile faded. Rhodey struck up an eyebrow, slightly surprised at the emotions that flashed in Tony’s eyes.

“No, that can't be right, that…”

The telephone crashed to the floor loudly. Tony’s eyes were stuck on him, now clouded with a thin line of crystal. Tears.

“Rhodes?”

The shiver ran down his spine again as his friend slowly approached. The words were spoken softly, filled with despair in a way Rhodey had never heard before. Least of all from Tony Stark.

He took a step forward. “What’s wrong, man?

“What do you say we break into my Dad’s liquor cabinet? He won't need it anymore.”

With those words he turned around and began walking shakily down the corridor, passing Jarvis without a word. The butler eyed him worriedly before staring at Rhodey, who had by then picked up the phone.

“Mrs. Carter? What the hell is going on?”

“James? It's good that-”

The woman's voice was cut short with the crashing sound of a bottle shattering. A scream engulfed the room, along with the smell of old whiskey.

“I’ll have to call you back, Mrs. Carter.”

The line went dead.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

He didn't leave Tony’s side until four days later. Through the funeral, drowning press conferences and an early cold meeting with Stane, Rhodey quietly accompanied the brunette.

It was easy to tell that Jarvis and Anna wished to do the same, but Tony only pushed them away. Every morning he had to drag the Stark from a state of hangover and filth, make him shower and dress. That until he was called back to work.

When he hugged an unresponsive Tony as a goodbye, he could only pray that someone else would continue what he started.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

“Good evening, Mr. James. It is a pleasure to have you back.”

Jarvis greeted him with a brighter smile a month later, and took his coat. The cold of December was still present along with the air of isolation, but most of the Manor seemed impeccable.

He hesitated to ask at first. “Thank you. How’s…”

The worry lines on the older man’s face told him everything, and he stoped Jarvis before he started speaking. “He’s in his room?”

“For the last month.”

“The whole month?” Rhodey tightened his hold against the Burger King bag when the other one nodded.

“Anna made him get out two weeks ago but he only induced in more alcohol.”

“No one else has tried?”

Jarvis’s expression became darker. “Mr. Stane has visited various times, but-”

“Tony refused to see him.” interrupted Rhodey. “Alright then. Off to battle.”

The room smelled of cheap german liquor and stale food, and he had to take long steps in order to avoid a few sour smelling patches on the carpet. The blinds were closed, making the place even stuffier, and difficult to find the remaining Stark.

After a few more steps and depositing the bag on a less clumpy table, he opened the blinds. The reaction was nearly immediate- a violent jerk from a pile of what he thought were blankets and a loud, annoyed groan.

“Get up, Tony.” he commanded, poking the lump of covers before trying to tidy up the room.

A head emerged, with a mess of hair he could make out with difficulty. 

“Get out.”

“No.”

With a strong arm he pulled the sheets away, earning an estranged gasp of cold from Tony. Trying his best to ignore him, Rhodey continued to pick up discarded clothing, careful of some glass shards and spilled beer.

“Fuck off.”

He sighed. “You need to get out of bed.”

Tony’s eyes follow him around the room. “I don't want to.”

“Well, I’m not leaving until you do.

The teenager doesn't even try to be dramatic when he sighs. “Do you wanna watch a movie?”

He rolled his eyes. “No. What I want is for you to get it together.”

The pillow thrown at him from the bed misses by nearly five meters.

“Asshole.”

“Mind your language, I brought you burgers.”

“Cheeseburgers?”

“You can eat them if you promise to take a shower.”

His bribe apparently made no change to Tony, who just snuggled against the covers again, but slided off the bed and near the television. The room was still fairly dark, so the dark skinned man couldn't see his actions well.

“Watch a movie with me.”

He suppressed a deep breath. “What do you want to watch?”

“I don't know. Whatever.”

When he noticed that Tony made no motion to turn on the TV, Rhodey sighed loudly and did it himself, sitting on the couch. Perhaps he could help his friend by simply being there, and maybe even after a while Tony would finally start talking.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

After the end credits finally rolled for the fifth time he stood up to turn on the lights. Two am and Tony was nearly silent, a fact that terrified him. He was used to watching movies with his friend, movies in which Tony would loudly criticise the cliche main character or make random comments to fill the silence.

It had been different.

“Rhodey?”

“Yeah?”

“Can you brush my hair?”

Rhodes stood slightly surprised, looking back at his friend. From the nest of blankets a head had emerged again, and he could finally see Tony’s features more clearly with the light. The eye bags, although not new, had grown, cheekbones looking sharer, skin a sick colour of yellow. His hair was sticking in wild angles, plastered with grease.

“You don’t look fine, Tony.”

“I know, I know, just… if you don't want to it fine, but-”

“Brush your hair?”

“Yeah, I… “ his voice lowered to a whisper. “My mother used to do it when I got sick.”

Rhodey’s heart clenched momentarily, remembering what had happened. Why was he here. He made his way to the couch, sitting right behind Tony’s nest on the floor.A shaky hand passed him a brush.

He hesitated momentarily before placing the brush on his head and pulling.

“HOLY FUCK- not so hard!”

Annoyance was present in Tony's eyes when he turned to glare at him, but at least it wasn't the deep, never ending pain.

“Sorry, sorry. Let me try again.”

He placed a hand on Tony’s tense shoulders, trying to massage them. The iron hardness wasn't only from the harsh tug, he guessed, but from the last month. He shouldn't have left.

Again he passed the brush against the hair, gently. Pausing for a second and receiving no curse, he continued. Press, pull, press pull. Sometimes he had to squish the lock together in order to avoid pain. Over and over.

“Am I doing it correctly?”

“Yeah, yeah that's…. just like that.”

Slowly but efficiently, Tony leaned back against his knees, closing his eyes and falling into the enjoyment of soft caress. After a while, Rhodey took a quick trip to the bathroom to get a wet towel, beginning to softly rub Tony’s head and clean the grease off.

“I’m sorry.”

He frowned but kept brushing. “What for?”

“The mess. Screaming.”

“It's fine, Tones.”

The brown locks were finally shinier and less tangled, but he kept working nonetheless.

“Rhodey?”

“Yeah?”

Tony’s voice choked. “My mum is dead.”

Fuck. What was he supposed to say?”

“And… everyone doesn't seem to care I mean, you, J and Anna obviously do but…”

Rhodey mentally shut himself up to let his friend speak. Now or never.

“Everyone only cares about what will happen to the company. Company bullshit. Nobody seems to remember that they were also people, not just millionaires.”

Tony fell quiet and took the brush from his hand.

“I know, Tones.” he finally said. “But… nothing I say could possibly make you feel better, but you can't keep doing this to yourself. And I’m sorry I left.”

Tony flipped around, moving with the sheets to look at him face to face. “Yeah, your job and all. But thanks, I really appreciate it.”

Rhodey smiled, offering his hand. “You should get some sleep.”

“Ugg, no. Now you sound like Anna.”

“You look like a dead bird.”

“Rude, sourpatch. I wanna eat my cheeseburger.”

A smile appeared in Tony’s face and something inside Rhodey shifted, telling him he was doing the right thing.

They ended up watching another film, Tony’s head on his lap until he fell asleep, looking better than when he first arrived.

**Author's Note:**

> Poor Tony. All spelling mistakes are on me, I had to post this very quickly.
> 
> Stay safe everyone!
> 
> x)


End file.
